A means for improving the performance of a vehicle for potential additional comfort of a passenger during a frontal collision is to absorb the energy of the collision by deforming the front portion of the vehicle, such as the front end frame and suspension member. By deforming the front portion during a collision, deformation of the passenger compartment can be limited.
An example of a structure for reducing the amount of deformation at the front portion of the vehicle is a power unit that comprises an engine and a transmission and auxiliary equipment such as a compressor, an alternator and a pump, in addition to a steering gear box and front wheels.
A front structure of a vehicle for absorbing energy during a collision, is shown for example in Laid Open Japanese Patent No. H08-310444 (see FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof, and paragraphs 0009 to 0024, etc.). In this front structure of a vehicle, a steering gear box is located between a power unit and a dashboard, therefore the amount of deformation of the front end of the vehicle is reduced.
The present invention is a front structure for a vehicle that comprises a power unit mounted on a front end of the vehicle, a steering gear box that is provided in front of or behind the power unit in the vehicle, and a suspension member that supports the steering gear box, wherein the steering gear box is provided at a bottom surface of the suspension member so as to move beneath the power unit if the front end of the vehicle is deformed due to a collision.
Therefore, during a collision of the vehicle, the steering gear box moves beneath the power unit, thereby preventing the steering gear box from being located between the power unit and other elements of the vehicle in the direction of deformation at the front portion of the vehicle.
By doing so, the amount of deformation of the front portion of the vehicle by the steering gear box can be optimized, thereby effectively absorbing energy.
The present front structure for a vehicle effectively absorbs energy by preventing the amount of deformation of the front end of the vehicle during a frontal collision from being interfered with by the steering gear box.